Category: Virginia Beach Reviews

 

One can’t help but to feel incredibly stylish while dining at Sonoma. Cool is the only word to describe the atmosphere.

It’s not uncomfortably trendy, nor is it uncomfortably snooty. Tall bistro-like tables and chairs are in the dining area. Candles surround the room creating a nice ambiance. The ladies room is comfy, spotless and equally cool. For those who wish to have drinks and relax, there are cozy couches and chairs.

I was immediately impressed by the appetizer selection—salads, crab, tuna tartare, and cheeses are just a few of the options. Sonoma lets you build your own cheese board with a variety of cheeses and meats, which is something I rarely find in our area restaurants. Typically if a restaurant offers cheese, it is only on the dessert menu. A cheese and meat selection before the main course is a favorite of mine. The presentation was beautiful. The meats and cheeses were complimented by fruit, candied pecans, olives, pickles, crackers and dried figs. They also offer an extensive selection of wine as well.

The main course menu offers several choices—everything from duck to ahi tuna. The meat for my main course was tasty, but it was not extremely memorable. It wasn’t as juicy as I would have liked it to be. The corn on the cob was succulent and perfect.

Desserts included sorbets, cheeses, and various mouth watering chocolate desserts. However, the cheeses listed on the dessert menu were the same ones listed on the appetizer menu. It would be nice to see additional chesses for dessert. Over all, I enjoyed my experience at Sonoma. The service was good, atmosphere was great, and my dinner was pleasant. I would definitely recommend Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro.

 

Sonoma feels a little more like a formal restaurant than a bistro, and that’s fine by me.  Perhaps some diners don’t mind forking over a few hundred dollars for a meal in a “bistro” environment, but I do.  I feel cheated somehow.  Luckily, Sonoma uses the word bistro in name only, and steps up the seating and service making the dining experience on par with their pricing.

The menu at Sonoma has something for everyone, and everything we tried met or exceeded our expectations.   I’m a fan of the dual appetizer configuration of their menu, which progresses from first to second and a third plate, the last being the entree.  This encourages people to relax, slow down their dining experience and try new things, rather than using that staid appetizer-entree-desert formula.

The decor is modern but not trendy.  The venue is flush with warm hardwoods and soft ambiance.  The bar is above average and there is some comfortable seating with a fireplace near the bar in case you’re not in the mood for a stool.  Sonoma a nice switch from formal dining, but that comes at a cost.  Seating in the dining area isn’t as comfortable as it could be and you tend to feel surrounded at times, depending on your table location.  Also, there is no coat checking so you’re forced to find a free chair to rest your extra garments and other items on.  I believe all quality restaurants should at least have a coat rack.

Service was pretty good, though not anything special.  The staff is courteous and knowledgeable – covering the basics well enough.  I enjoyed my visit to Sonoma and look forward to returning and sampling some other items from their wonderful seasonal menu.

Contact Information for Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro:
Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro
189 Central Park Avenue
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
757-490-WINE
http://www.sonomatowncenter.com

It’s nice to see something different in Virginia Beach. Terrapin is classy and offers an excellent and diverse menu without breaking the bank.

There are plenty of easily categorized restaurants in Hampton Roads. Virginia Beach, where Terrapin is located is especially well known for seafood. It’s also trendy to open a fusion restaurant, especially when part of that blend is some sort of Asian cuisine. Terrapin bucks all recent themes and classifies their menu “Contemporary American Cuisine”. That description is a perfect fit, not only for the food offered but also for the atmosphere of the establishment itself.

The seated dining area is fairly well seperated from the well appointed bar, though some tables are a little too close for comfort if the bar gets busy. The seating is comfortable and the large mirror on the far wall really helps to open the place up and make it seem much larger than it is. Service is carried out by a number of different staff members, which means you’ll have beverages and side dishes replenished in a timely fashion. Our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable. Of special note was our host for the evening, who was very courtious and raised the bar on service even higher.

Overall I was very impressed with the staff. It was one of the better experiences I’ve had in recent memory with regards to service. It wasn’t flawless – some assumptions were made by our waiter and they didn’t leave the bottle of sparkling water at our table until we had nearly finished it, which made me wonder if it was being shared with another table – though I doubt it was and it’s possible he just wanted to make sure we had room on our table for other items. Despite this I felt very well taken care of at Terrapin.

Last but never least, the food. You won’t be disappointed by the offerings at Terrapin. With a modern yet varied menu, the chefs delivered on every component – from the bread to the entree. Food was well presented and served in a timely manner. The only disappointment in this area was the desert menu, which though average in choices was short on innovation or variety. A signature desert dish would go a long way towards putting a classy finishing touch on an already excellent dining experience.

I was very impressed with Terrapin and look forward to a return visit. They already have the fundamentals covered and with a bit of fine tuning this could be one of the premier establishments of the region.

 

If you’re searching for a sleek and intimate dining experience, then search no more—Terrapin should be your next dining destination. It is located just a few streets back from the Virginia Beach oceanfront.

The owner has done wonders with the small space. Although small, it feels very neat and open. Terrapin was moderately busy when we dined, but the atmosphere never felt noisy or stuffy. Comfortable seating and relaxing music made my dining experience all the more pleasant. The servers were prompt, friendly and well mannered. The restrooms were tastefully decorated and well stocked with all the necessities.

Moving on to the menu, there is much to choose from including first and middle courses that offer a variety of salads, seafood and cheese. The vegetables at Terrapin are the freshest I’ve ever had. I would certainly recommend trying one of their salads. The chef prepares all of the vegetables (including sides) in such a way that the natural flavors are accentuated and not masked by heavy seasoning.

Their specialty is seafood but their other main meat courses are equally excellent. Before our first course, we received a tasty lightly breaded shrimp amuse busch, which, was a nice touch. My main course was presented nicely. The greens were perfectly prepared, but the baked caramelized onion potatoes were a little too oniony for my liking. The steak was a nice cut, juicy and seasoned just right. I passed on desert. There were several sweets to choose from, but I would have liked to have seen a cheese selection on the menu as well.

I very much enjoyed my dining experience at Terrapin and can definitely say this is one of my favorites.

High praise has been given to the Coastal Grill by local reviewers – Hampton Roads Magazine even awarded the restaurant their top Platinum Plate award – but I beg to differ. A lot.

Things went from bad to worse at Coastal Grill. At first we weren’t even sure where the entrance was (it’s on the left hidden being a window), and after we entered we discovered that we were standing no more than 5 feet from the nearest table. They really pack you in at this place, which may be due to the fact that it is pretty small (it was so cramped that when I was eating I would literally have to stop and pull my arms in for people to pass on either side). After a minute a hostess appeared and seated us promptly to the aforementioned table.

Once seated I had a minute to look around, and was dissapointed in everything I saw. From the 1984 green carpet, to the blech green ceiling tile, and finally the green and white table clothes covered by a thing peice of white paper, it should not surprise that I wasn’t thrilled with the decor. It may not be the worst looking place I’ve ever eaten in, but Coastal Grill can’t even see the best from where it stands. No eatery that papers their tables will likely ever receive high marks from me. It always seems that people who paper tables are either cheap or don’t trust customers with their precious table clothes. Add to that the stiff wooden chairs and the near pitch-black nature of the hall leading to the restroom and you have a real nightmare on your hands. The restroom could be best described as a mirror image of that of my public high school. My underfunded and over crowded public high school in rural Virginia.

Still reading? Let’s move on to the food then. Yawn. That’s the word that best describes the menu and the resulting meal. From plain-ish appetizers to a mediocre entree, followed by an average desert left me full but unsatisfied. A little too full – for the rest of the night and the next day I felt quite ill, though I can’t pinpoint what may have been the cause. It also appeared that everyone received the same sides – roasted potatoes and corn on the cobb – no matter what entree they ordered. I could be wrong about this because I didn’t check every plate in the room, but there were a lot of people eating corn on the cobb that evening.

The service was decent at least. Though obviously overwhelmed with tables our waiter managed to pretty much keep up with the pace we were setting. Another issue at Coastal Grill is the noise. It was extremely noisy during our visit. So loud in fact that the waiter literally leaned in to the table to shout the specials to our perked ears. Even then it was difficult to hear him. The prices aren’t outragous either. Those were the only redeeming qualities of Coastal Grill.

But decent service and average prices won’t be enough to make you forget about the hideous decor, cramped quarters, boring menu and deafening noise levels. I can find no reason to recommend Coastal Grill to anyone, and highly doubt that I will even return.

With best intentions I’m sure, Coastal Grill tries to create a homey atmosphere—plaid table cloths, and big wooden chairs with arm rests. However, with the close seating, unpadded chairs, paper covered tables, and golf course green decor that covers every inch of the place including the push-out ceiling panels, it certainly doesn’t fit the term homey by my standards. Having been open since the late 80s, I don’t think they’ve updated their look since then or changed their light bulbs as it was a very dark trip down the hallway to the bathroom.

The atmosphere according to my standards was rather cheap. On top of the green and white plaid table cloth lay a starchy piece of paper. The paper is changed out between guests (thank God), and the paper for the round tables has to actually be cut in a circular shape to fit. It’s really quite amusing to watch the wait staff cut the giant circle. Just as I was starting to get past the atmosphere aspect, I noticed that the cloth napkin in my lap was shedding at a pretty rapid pace. This is definitely not the place to wear black. Before the appetizer even arrived I was covered in lint.

Although atmosphere is an important part of a restaurant in my book, I was still hopeful that the food might be impressive. To my dismay, my appetizer was comparable to something I would get at Applebee’s. The bread served before the meal wasn’t the best either, and the butter was not spreadable on the bread because it was so hard. I ordered one of the “blackboard specials”. Nothing was overcooked, but the fish was very bland and scalding hot. The side of potatoes also lacked flavor. The corn was the most tasty part of my meal—crunchy and buttery. For desert I expected fresh peaches to accompany my ice cream and pound cake, since they are readily available at this time of year. Of course, I was disappointed. The pound cake was a little dry, but the ice cream added a nice touch.

If my mother had cooked this meal, I would have said, “it’s okay”, but coming from a restaurant setting, I’d say the meal was disappointing. No single thing at Coastal Grill wowed me—not the food, not the atmosphere, and not the service. I did not feel catered to by the service. I constantly felt like the waiter was trying to squeeze us into his tight schedule of tables. The point of dining out is to get better than average food with better than average service in an atmosphere that is appealing. Even with the atmosphere factor taken out, this place just isn’t upscale and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who is seeking a fine dining experience.

Contact Information for Coastal Grill:
Coastal Grill
1427 N. Great Neck Rd.
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23510
757-496-3348
http://www.coastalgrill.com/

The most comfortable restaurant I’ve ever been to. The booths are softly padded with lots of pillows. The hallway to the restroom is also padded just in case you have a little too much wine, which is likely because they have such a nice selection.

The restrooms are as inviting as the booths. Of course, I can only vouch for the women’s. They are stocked full with every item a girl could possibly need for an evening touch-up. The soft hand towels are a nice addition too.

The tables are large, so there is always enough room for your food. The food is excellent. If you’re in the mood for steak, this is the place to go. They have a variety of steaks and dipping sauces. Excellent mashers and to die for deserts.

This is a great place to take a first date—it’s memorable and comfortable. It’s also a great place to unwind and dine, but only if you’re not in a hurry because sometimes it takes a while to get the check. Don’t bother with the valet parking. It will take you just as long to tip the guy as it does to park and walk a few feet through the restaurant door. Would I go back? I always do.

Elegant and contemporary, Zoe’s Restaurant always impresses with its food, service and atmosphere. There is something comforting about pillows, and Zoe’s has recognized this and placed them in their booths. I’ve always disliked how contained and rigid booths feel, but the addition of a few soft pillows really goes a long way to alleviate those sensations. The food at Zoe’s is definitely some of the most reliable in the region; you can count on a quality showing each time you visit. Though they are known for their steaks and chocolate desert, Zoe’s is much more than that.

If I were to create a list of the Top 10 most romantic places to eat in Virginia, Zoe’s would be on it. There is no sappy music playing and no one will ask you how long you’ve been together – the romance is created by the warmth of your surroundings and the anticipation of the next savory course. Some restaurants spend quite a bit of money and time to be perceived as romantic by their customers, but Zoe’s pulls it off because of all the little things that come together to create a special night out.

Contact Information for Zoe’s Restaurant:
Zoe’s Restaurant
713 19th Street
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451
(757) 437-3636